Blue eyes

Seriously, who could resist these blue eyes?

So far so good

This has been a good weekend so far. We took the boys for a walk on Friday night to get ice cream. This was the boys after our walk. Camden still hoping for some "yummy more cream" - as Carter calls it.

All tuckered out.

Daddy, Mommy and Camden toes.

Carter was to busy playing music for us to stop and take the foot photo I requested. 

Then he decided to do some home repairs.

Mike, Amanda, Dane and Baby came over to swim and have dinner tonight. No pictures, as I was too busy soaking up how cute they all are. I think Amanda caught a couple so maybe you can see how cute they are too.

Our 1st trip to the ER

Monday was great with the holiday and all, Tuesday not so good.

We were getting ready to sit down for dinner. I strapped Camden in his highchair, strapped Carter in his and walked into the kitchen to cut up some pork chops. Jeff was standing next to me when we heard this huge crash. We looked up to see a dining room chair had fallen over. Ummm, the chair that Camden's highchair is strapped to.  And Camden was still it in. Upside down. The whole chair had tipped over onto the tile floor. Needless to say we FREAKED OUT! Lifted the chair up, unstrapped a by now hysterical Camden and I ran for the car. As I was running out the door with my keys, the neighbor across the street heard my screaming and was on her way to us in a flash. The normally calm parent, me, had become a mess. Screaming at the top of my lungs, probably traumatized the kids for the rest of their lives. But I was sure this was not going to end good. Yes, I am dramatic. Anyway, the neighbor watched Carter while we flew to the hospital. Grandma and grandpa in route to our house to convince Carter everything would be ok.  I say "flew to the hospital" because we live 5 miles from the hospital. It normally takes about 12 or so minutes. We arrived in 4.  In that time, Cam had become extremely quiet and his eyes were rolling back in his head. I rushed into a packed ER waiting room, but fortunately the ER nurse saw my fright and immediately paged a pediatric nurse to come get us. They took Cam's vitals, blah, blah, blah. Hurry, hurry, hurry was all I was thinking. They took us right back to the Pediatric ER and had us put Cam in the smallest hospital gown, and put ID bracelets around his ankle. We saw the Dr. within 5 minutes. He was very good, I am sure he sees frantic parents all day but he was thorough and sweet with Camden.  He calmed us immediately by saying that it was normal for Camden to become so calm. (I was worried something was wrong because he was so quiet and his eyes were rolling in his head.) The Dr. explained after such an adrenaline rush, the adrenaline leaves his body really fast and so he would become tired - thus, the eyes rolling back while we were in the car. Since we couldn't be sure if he his his head first, or if the sides of his highchair took most of the brunt of the fall, he ordered a CAT scan. Plus, the fact that Camden didn't cry immediately after falling, we think he may have blacked out for a second or so.  Camden and I went back to a large room, where they strapped him to a big table, which he didn't like very well. We both had to wear big weighted vests. He looked so tiny.  At this point it all felt to surreal. Pork chops still on the table at home, we had just been playing outside, now he is wearing a teddy bear hospital gown and strapped to a CT scan table.  The tech told me I could hold his hands and sing to him while they did the scan. This calmed him down right away and we were done in 30 seconds. The tech replied, "Either you have a perfect son, or you are a very good singer." They apparently never get kids who lay so still or stay calm enough for the 30 second scan they do. Trust me it wasn't my singing, Camden IS perfect. So back to curtain #34 to wait for results. About 30 minutes later, the Dr. came back and told us no bleeding on the brain, no fracture to his head. Just a little red goose egg on the right side of his head just above the hairline. All was ok.

The ER nurse at the desk came up to me, put her hand on my back and very sweetly said, "Now honey, you have boys so this won't be the last time we see you. Next time this will be old hat."

Gee thanks, but I'll pass on the "next times"

Memorial Day Happenings

Carter has now started calling his Daddy by a new name.

 He will walk through the house, and yell, "Uncle Jeff!!"

I think it has to do with a little girl we know.

The kiddos had a great time playing over at Bryan and Shannon's on Memorial Day. 

They tore the playroom up for starters.

Tired us adults right out.

Made us laugh like crazy.

Galloped around town looking "oh, so cool dude!"

We took rides through the sprinkler.

Made sure to look stylish in a Hello Kitty Helmet

Caught some sun.

Splashed and laughed with Aunt Glenna.

It was a great day!

Right now, right now

I sometimes wish things could stay as they are right now.

Cuddly, sleepy, sweet boys. Perfect size, perfect age, everything new and exciting. So exciting that you must take a long afternoon nap and look more adorable than I have ever seen before. 

Fish

Carter is mesmerized by the fish, froggies and sucker fish.

Camden's 1st Tooth (Teeth)

On Sunday the 18th, Camden's first tooth sprouted up. Actually both the bottom ones started to come up. He is now working on a third tooth up top. he does remarkably well compared to Carter. Just slightly fussy and wakes up during the night to find his binkie but that's it.

Carter and Camden's First Pet

Yesterday, we took the boys to the pet store with the intention of getting ONE small water frog. Their babysitter has a tank with a couple and they are quite the source of talk around our house lately. Froggie this and froggie that . . . . froggie eating, froggie sleeping, froggie moving . . . . Carter even says, "Nigh night froggie!" So, we looked, we picked, we bought, and $62.00!!!! later, we have 2 goldfish, Mo and Curly, 2 frogs, Jumpa and Roo, and a sucker fish, Oreck.

We had a fatality this morning. Poor Curly went belly up today. He lived only 1 day in our home but he will be missed. . . . although Carter still hasn't noticed.

Camden says, "I did it!"

Listen closely, in the beginning of this video Camden says, "I did it!"

Before Kids

I came across these pictures, they made me laugh. 

Feb 2006 - Mike, Amanda, Jeff and I in St. George. 

Amanda and I were both pregnant with our firsts. I was about 3 months and she was about 7.5 I think. Hard to believe we have Camden already and Amanda is even more pregnant with Baby Joey. Do you think we had ANY clue how our lives would change . . . . 

Answer: Every single moment

Question of the week:

"Do you ever just feel like your heart is going to explode?" -Amanda Anderson

Cool Dude

A very Happy Mother's Day

Jazz Alley

We went to a Jazz restaurant at Downtown Disney on Monday night.

Carter was thrilled by the . . . . piano . . . no, but he loved the corn.

Ok, he liked the piano too.

Handsome boys.

Sweet boys.

On the Farm - aka The Grant's house

Carter was lucky enough to rope Shanda's mom into giving him tractor rides. He thought it was the coolest. In fact, he is still saying "tractor ride?" I am having a hard time explaining we don't have/need a John Deere for our 20 feet of grass.

He got to meet a sheep

He fed a couple horses. this prompted his first full sentence. "I feed horseys apples!"

Carter is saying "BA BA BA BA" to the sheep. Mr. Sheep was unimpressed.

"I do it!" His phrase regarding riding the tractor.

All beat up

Carter fell at daycare on Wednesday, Clumsy feet in conjunction with climbing over a safety gate, the end result, a black eye. He fell pretty hard but didn't shed a tear. This picture is a couple days after so it's not as swollen as it was when I first saw him. Oh well, I guess it had to happen sooner or later. and I'm sure there are more to come.

Baby Jhett Plane

Kev and Jess and Jhett came over a couple weeks ago. Carter calls him Baby Jhett Plane. This is what Jhett thought of his nickname.

7

My Tubby Buddy Cammo Pants,

Well yes, that is what I call you lately. Today you turned 7 months old. 7 months! I think it was yesterday that you were kicking my belly from the inside. Now, when I change your diaper you kick your legs like crazy and scoot yourself up, pushing off my belly from the outside to get out of my reach. Auntie A only has 8 weeks left before her 2nd baby is born and I feel like that was me waddling around not that long ago with you pushing your tiny hands and feet all over my ribcage. It was Daddy's 30th birthday today and we spent it at convention. You gave him the best present I believe, smiles that melt your heart with the slightest bit of white peeking from your bottom gums. Giggles that feel like sunshine on a perfect summer day. Blue eyes that look like the tropical ocean we hope to take you to some day. This was the last day of a 4 day convention and you are about done. Sitting is not an option, rather you want to jump and jump on our laps or while we walk you around. Our arms are spent with all 19 lbs of you but we hesitate to set you down. I want to hold you and kiss you and cuddle my last baby boy. Our baby, you are growing every second and for my own selfish reasons I wish you could just stop. Yet everyday is something new. You reach for our faces with slobbery little hands and smile when you catch our cheeks. Last night, we had to stop at Target and get you another Jumperoo for Loren and Shanda's house so you could do that jig you love so much. You are rolling over with pure glee and still don't really enjoy being on your tummy unless I am right there on mine looking at you. You can sit on your own for 3 or so minutes but then topple over to your side. Maybe you will crawl this month. You giggle uncontrollably at Carter when he screams "BOOOO" at you. I know you will be great friends one day. You sit backwards in your car seat and Carter faces forward so you have the perfect view of each other. Carter loves to say "Wake up Baby Cammmen" when you drift off peacefully to sleep as we drive home.  You are becoming opinionated about what you like and don't like. You don't like when I leave the room, you don't like peas, you don't like the vacuum, you love Daddy, you love Carter, you like sweet potatoes and bananas, you love the cats, specifically their tails. And I love you, specifically this fairy tale called life where I get to watch you grow.

I love you, like Carter loves fruit snacks. The way he has to "have have" them everyday, the greatest of treats, sweet and special and to be savored.

Mommy

21

Dear Carter,

I'll admit, I got this idea from another blog. A letter to you, a marker of what you did the day you turned 21 months old. We were at convention today. You said, "meetin time" and ran to sit down. It's hard to have you sit for 5 hours a day. We break up the time looking at "tactooor" (tractor) books and playing with a farm animal puzzle where you like to shout out the sounds the animals make like, MOOOO! BAAAAA! NEEEEIGH! OINK! but a little too loud for meeting. You love fruit snacks and suckers and they keep you occupied for at least 10 minutes. You smile your cheesy smile and look up at me with those hazel eyes that are hard to resist. Wednesday, you fell at daycare and hit your eye. You have a very large black eye so now your cheesy smile and hazel eyes are even harder to resist when you look like you where beat up. Unlike last month, unprompted, you say, "Thank you, Momma, pwweeese!" when you need something. You love "Cocca Milk", your "buddy Dane" and when we arrived at Loren and Shanda's house on Wednesday, you undoubtedly announced, "My Loren!" You have turned into our rough and tumble little boy, yet while we read books to you tonight before bed, you were soft and cuddly and gave Daddy kisses before saying "Nigh Night Momma. Kisses Baby Cammmen."

Night Night Buddy. Kisses my sweet Carter.

Love,

Momma

Dane

A couple weeks ago, Mike and Amanda went away. We watched Dane for a few hours in the evening. Carter was so happy to have his buddy over. They splashed so much in the bath that I had to soak up the water with several towels.

While Carter went to sleep upstairs, Dane and Jeff read a book downstairs. I came down to find them already asleep.

These photos are from several weeks ago. A warm night in the backyard. Amanda gives Carter a teeter toter ride.

Carter is also learning to golf with some helpful instruction from Mikey and Jeff.